Ravenshoe ( ) is a rural town and

locality Locality may refer to: * Locality, a historical named location or place in Canada * Locality (association), an association of community regeneration organizations in England * Locality (linguistics) * Locality (settlement) * Suburbs and localitie ...

in the

Tablelands Region The Tablelands Region is a Local government in Australia, local government area in Far North Queensland, Australia inland from the city of Cairns, Queensland, Cairns. Established in 2008, it was preceded by four previous local government areas ...

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

, Australia. In the , the locality of Ravenshoe had a population of 1,332 people.

Geography

Ravenshoe is on the

Atherton Tableland The Atherton Tableland is a fertile plateau, which is part of the Great Dividing Range in Queensland, Australia. It has very deep, rich basaltic soils and the main industry is agriculture. The principal river flowing across the plateau is the B ...

Far North Queensland Far North Queensland (FNQ) is the northernmost part of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland. Its largest city is Cairns, Queensland, Cairns and it is dominated geographically by Cape York Peninsula, which stret ...

. It is located south west of the regional centre,

Cairns Cairns (; ) is a city in the Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia, on the tropical north east coast of Far North Queensland. In the , Cairns had a population of 153,181 people. The city was founded in 1876 and named after William Cairns, Sir W ...

. At above sea level, Ravenshoe is the highest town in Queensland, with Queensland's highest pub "The Ravenshoe Hotel" (formerly the "Tully Falls Hotel" until 2014) and highest railway station. It also has the Millstream Falls, the widest waterfall in Australia. Traditionally the main industry in Ravenshoe was timber, but since 1987, when the government made of surrounding rainforest world heritage listed, the main industries have been tourism, beef and dairy farming.

History

The traditional owners of the land in the Ravenshoe district are the Jirrbal people who speak a dialect of the

Dyirbal language Dyirbal (also ''Djirubal'') is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken in northeast Queensland by the Dyirbal people. In 2016, the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported that there were 8 speakers of the language. It is a member of the s ...

. The site of the present day Ravenshoe was first settled by

pastoralists Pastoralism is a form of animal husbandry where domesticated animals (known as "livestock") are released onto large vegetated outdoor lands (pastures) for grazing, historically by nomadic people who moved around with their herds. The anima ...

prior to 1881 but when stands of red cedar (''

Toona ciliata ''Toona ciliata'' is a forest tree in the mahogany family which grows throughout South Asia from Afghanistan to Papua New Guinea and Australia. Names It is commonly known as the red cedar (a name shared by other trees), tone, toon or toona (als ...

'') trees were found at nearby Cedar Creek, the mining entrepreneur, John Moffat purchased the pastoral properties in 1897. A village called Cedar Creek was established. By 1910, the nearby mining town of

Herberton Herberton is a rural town and locality in the Tablelands Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Herberton had a population of 895 people. Geography Herberton is on the Atherton Tableland in Far North Queensland. It is situate ...

has been connected by railway to

and Cedar Creek had been renamed Ravenshoe. The name is supposed to have been chosen because a copy of

Henry Kingsley Henry Kingsley (2 January 1830 – 24 May 1876) was an English novelist, brother of the better-known Charles Kingsley. He was an early exponent of muscular Christianity in his 1859 novel '' The Recollections of Geoffry Hamlyn''. Life Kingsley ...

's novel ''

Ravenshoe Ravenshoe ( ) is a rural town and locality in the Tablelands Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Ravenshoe had a population of 1,332 people. Geography Ravenshoe is on the Atherton Tableland in Far North Queensland. It is ...

'' was found discarded nearby. Ravenshoe State School opened on 5 February 1912. It expanded to offer secondary schooling on 3 February 1958. By 1912, Ravenshoe had a store, a school, the Club Hotel and a population of 1,000 people. The timber industry was by now supplying Queensland maple (''

Flindersia brayleyana ''Flindersia brayleyana'', commonly known as Queensland maple, maple silkwood or red beech, is a species of tree in the family Rutaceae and is Endemism, endemic to northern Queensland. It has Pinnation, pinnate leaves with between six and ten l ...

''), oak ('' Argyrodendron peralatum'') and black walnut (''

Endiandra globosa ''Endiandra globosa'' is a medium-sized Australian rainforest tree. Despite the common name of black walnut, this tree is unrelated to northern hemisphere walnuts, and is a laurel. The black walnut is restricted to riverine rainforest. Growing o ...

''). Geraldton Road State School opened on 1916 via Ravenshoe. It closed on 1960. It was at 45 Geraldton Road (now within the boundaries of neighbouring Evelyn, ). Chilverton State School opened on 31 July 1916 "via Ravenshoe". It closed in 1 July 1956. It was at 12280 Kennedy Highway (), which is in Ravenshoe today but on the boundary with Evelyn. On 11 December 1916, Ravenshoe was finally connected with Cairns by the Tablelands railway line. Ravenshoe Methodist Church was officially opened on Saturday 29 May 1920, the first church to be erected in Ravenshoe. It was built from timber and was and could seat 80 people. It cost £390. It was at 13 Moore Street (). After the closure of the church some time after 1975, the building was relocated to 592 Wooroora Road to be incorporated into a house. Horse Shoe Bend State School (sometimes written as Horseshoe Bend State School) opened in 1917 under head teacher Mary Ellen Duffy. It closed in 1925 due to low student numbers. The school reopened in 1929 and closed on 1 August 1952. It was at 182 Glendinning Road (). Chilverton Methodist Church opened on 3 June 1929. It was built immediately adjacent and north of the Chilverton State School. It is no longer extant, but was at 12280 Kennedy Highway (). Vine Creek State School opened on 10 September 1936. It closed on 16 August 1945. The school was at 620 Tully Falls Road (). Roads connected Ravenshoe with Atherton and Innisfail by 1936. On Sunday 25 July 1937, the foundation stone was laid for St Barnabas Anglican Church by

Bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

John Feetham. It was named St Barnabas after the Bush Brotherhood of St Barnabas, who had served in North Queensland. On Sunday 14 November 1937, Feetham returned to officially open and dedicate the church. It was built from timber. On Sunday 6 June 1937, St Theresa of the Child Jesus Catholic Church was officially opened and blessed by

John Heavey John Alphonsus Heavey (1868–1948) was a Roman Catholic bishop in Queensland, Australia. He was the Vicar Apostolic of Cooktown and the Roman Catholic Bishop of Cairns. Early life Heavey was born on 13 November 1868 in Roundwood, County ...

. It was and built from timber. In the 1970s, it was relocated to enable the construction of a new church building, which was made from concrete blocks. The old church building was then used as a school building. In

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

as part of the Atherton Project, tent encampments were established by the

Australian Army The Australian Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of Australia. It is a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF), along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Army is commanded by the Chief of Army ...

( 6th and

7th Seventh is the ordinal form of the number seven. Seventh may refer to: * Seventh Amendment to the United States Constitution * A fraction (mathematics), , equal to one of seven equal parts Film and television *"The Seventh", a second-season ep ...

Divisions) near Ravenshoe, Wondecla and Wongabel. By 1949, there were three

sawmill A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logging, logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes ...

s, two

hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a re ...

s, two

cinema Cinema may refer to: Film * Film or movie, a series of still images that create the illusion of moving image ** Film industry, the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking ** Filmmaking, the process of making a film * Movie theate ...

s, a

guest house A guest house (or guesthouse, also rest house) is a kind of lodging. In some parts of the world (such as the Caribbean), a guest house is a type of inexpensive hotel-like lodging. In others, it is a private home that has been converted for the e ...

and two

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a place/building for Christian religious activities and praying * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian comm ...

es. The Ravenshoe Parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cairns was established in 1949. St Teresa's Catholic School was established in 1950 by the

Sisters of Mercy The Sisters of Mercy is a religious institute for women in the Catholic Church. It was founded in 1831 in Dublin, Ireland, by Catherine McAuley. In 2019, the institute had about 6,200 Religious sister, sisters worldwide, organized into a number ...

. The single-room school building was the former Catholic Church at

Irvinebank Irvinebank is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Mareeba, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Irvinebank had a population of 113 people. Geography The Great Dividing Range forms the south-eastern and southern boundary of th ...

which was relocated to Ravenshoe. On opening there were 60 children enrolled from Years 1 through 7. In 1978 the Sisters of Mercy ended their role in the school, being replaced by

lay Lay or LAY may refer to: Places *Lay Range, a subrange of mountains in British Columbia, Canada * Lay, Loire, a French commune *Lay (river), France * Lay, Iran, a village * Lay, Kansas, United States, an unincorporated community * Lay Dam, Alaba ...

teachers. St Barnabas' School was established in 1953 by the Bush Brotherhood of St Barnabas. Reginald Halse,

Anglican Archbishop of Brisbane The Archbishop of Brisbane is the diocesan bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Brisbane, Australia, and ''ex officio'' metropolitan bishop of the ecclesiastical Province of Queensland The Province of Queensland is an ecclesiastical provin ...

unveiled a plaque on 27 September 1952 to mark the site of the new school, a block of land in anticipation of the school offering agricultural subjects. It closed on 31 October 1990. In 1992, the Queensland Education Department purchased St Barnabas' to establish a separate secondary campus for Ravenshoe State School. Tully Falls State School opened on 9 August 1953. It closed on 31 December 1955. Ravenshoe Seventh Day Adventist Church is a timber church built in 1980. The railway service from Atherton to Ravenshoe closed in 1988, following the designation of the

Wet Tropics of Queensland The Wet Tropics of Queensland World Heritage Site consists of approximately 8,940 km2 of Australian wet tropical forests growing along the north-east Queensland portion of the Great Dividing Range. The Wet Tropics of Queensland meets all f ...

as a

UNESCO World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

. A Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses was built in 1990. The Ravenshoe Library opened in 1992 and had a major refurbishment in 2017. Ravenshoe became national news after a vehicle ran into a gas cylinder at the Grigg Street 'Serves You Right Cafe' on 9 June 2015. In the resulting explosion and fire 20 people were hospitalised, 8 critically injured. Two people, the manager of the cafe and an 82-year-old Silver Valley resident, later died from their burns. there were still 7 people listed as critical with burn injuries. Five of them were females aged 43, 51, 59 and 75, and three males aged 56, 59 and 69. All were treated in

Brisbane Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...

, while the driver of the vehicle that caused the explosion, with a broken spine and burns, was also listed as critical and treated in

Demographics

In the , the locality of Ravenshoe had a population of 1,442 people, while the town of Ravenshoe had a population of 860 people. In the , the locality of Ravenshoe had a population of 1,400 people. In the , the locality of Ravenshoe had a population of 1,332 people.

Education

Ravenshoe State School is a government primary and secondary (Prep–12) school for boys and girls. The school has two campuses; a primary (Prep–6) campus at 10 Ascham Street () and a secondary (7–12) campus at Moore Street (). It includes a

special education Special education (also known as special-needs education, aided education, alternative provision, exceptional student education, special ed., SDC, and SPED) is the practice of educating students in a way that accommodates their individual di ...

program operating at the Moore Street campus. In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 420 students with 46 teachers (41 full-time equivalent) and 34 non-teaching staff (23 full-time equivalent). In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 385 students with 45 teachers (41 full-time equivalent) and 39 non-teaching staff (24 full-time equivalent). St Teresa's School is a Catholic primary (Prep–6) school for boys and girls at 6 Moffatt Street (). In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 103 students with 12 teachers (9 full-time equivalent) and 10 non-teaching staff (5 full-time equivalent). In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 94 students with 11 teachers (9 full-time equivalent) and 9 non-teaching staff (3 full-time equivalent).

Amenities

Ravenshoe has a butcher, bakery, supermarkets, two cafes, several craft shop, a post office, a medical centre, a newsagency, a

chemist A chemist (from Greek ''chēm(ía)'' alchemy; replacing ''chymist'' from Medieval Latin ''alchemist'') is a graduated scientist trained in the study of chemistry, or an officially enrolled student in the field. Chemists study the composition of ...

, a hardware store, two

pubs A pub (short for public house) is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption Licensing laws of the United Kingdom#On-licence, on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the ...

, two tyre shops, two salons, four fuel outlets, two caravan parks, a

laundromat A self-service laundry, coin laundry, or coin wash, is a facility where clothes and some household textiles are washed and dried without much personalized professional help. They are known in the United Kingdom as launderettes or laundrettes, ...

, bank branches, two real estate agencies and three schools and a community kindergarten. The Ravenshoe Millstream Country Club has a 9-hole golf course which is claimed to be the highest golf club in Queensland. Camping and caravan accommodation are available on site, for casual golfers. The Tablelands Regional Council operate a public library at 24 Moore Street. The Ravenshoe branch of the

Queensland Country Women's Association The Queensland Country Women's Association (QCWA) is the Queensland chapter of the Country Women's Association in Australia. The association seeks to serve the interests of women and children in rural areas in Australia through a network of loca ...

meets at 15 Herbert Street. St Teresa of the Child Jesus Catholic Church is on the south-east corner of Moore Street and Moffat Street (). It is within the Ravenshoe Parish of the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Cairns The Roman Catholic Diocese of Cairns is located in the state of Queensland, Australia. It is a suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Brisbane. The diocese was erected as a vicariate apostolic in 1877 and was elevated to a diocese in 1941. It ...

which is administered from the Malanda Parish. St Barnabas Anglican Church is at 18 Moore Street (). Ravenshoe Seventh Day Adventist Church is at 32 John Street (). Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses is at 13 Tully Falls Road ().

Attractions

Natural attractions

Ravenshoe is located close to waterfalls, crater lakes, swamps, water holes, rainforests and historical landmarks. There is also a diverse variety of plants and animals, including 12 species of possum, 8 species of kangaroo and abundant bird life. In 2005, Malaan National Park was declared over forests which were previously known as Dirran State Forest.

Bushwalking

Misty Mountain Wilderness trails are a network of extensive walking tracks that traverse Tully Gorge National Park and

Wooroonooran National Park Wooroonooran National Park (Aboriginal for "Black Rock") is a national park in Queensland, Australia, 1,367 km northwest of Brisbane, between Innisfail, Queensland, Innisfail and Cairns. The park is one of the Wet Tropics of Queensland, Wet ...

. There are bushwalks to the Millstream Falls as well as Little Millstream Falls.

Steam railway

From time to time, a steam train runs between Ravenshoe and the nearby town of Tumoulin, carrying locals and tourists to and from the local markets.

Other attractions

Ravenshoe has a number of galleries and creative industries, reflecting the nature of the locals. The

Windy Hill Wind Farm Windy Hill Wind Farm is a wind power station near Ravenshoe on the Atherton Tableland, Queensland, Australia. It has 20 wind turbines with a generating capacity of 12 MW of electricity, providing enough power for about 3,500 homes. The cost ...

owned by Queensland Government's Transfield Services Infrastructure Fund (together with the Koombooloomba hydroelectric dam) generates enough electricity to power several towns.

References

External links

*
Town map of Ravenshoe, 1972Tablelands siteVisitors Centre
{{authority control Towns in Queensland Populated places in Far North Queensland Tablelands Region Localities in Queensland